"They can't have gone far. After them!" the officer barked.
Columns of Qin soldiers marched out of Youjian Inn in lockstep.
Across a wide plain scoured by wind and sand, a black tide of troops advanced in perfect formation. At their head rode the Qin general Meng Tian. Beside him was a man whose features resembled Ying Zheng's—his eyes sharp, his bearing naturally regal: Prince Fusu.
High above, beneath a cloudless sky, a great white bird wheeled. Arms folded, Mo Ya and Bai Feng watched the countless troops below, exchanging a stunned look.
"Ying Zheng has truly made up his mind… a million soldiers, all for Lord Goku alone," Mo Ya said in awe.
"Under Heaven, only Lord Goku could merit such a response," Baifeng answered, face calm. "Ying Zheng has recognized the threat. Two tigers cannot share one mountain. He's resolved to kill."
"Who wins this war?" Mo Ya asked with a faint smile.
Baifeng's mind flashed back to the day he would never forget—when Goku's aura alone flattened tens of thousands of soldiers in an instant.
"Do you really think Ying Zheng and Lord Goku are comparable?" he replied evenly.
"One is a man… the other, like a god." Mo Ya's tone was mild. "From the beginning, fate was already decided. This rotten, brutal empire… it's time for it to end."
"Come. We should join Lord Goku. We wouldn't miss a show like this."
The white bird climbed higher, vanishing into the clouds.
In bustling Sanghai City, Tianming hovered at a roast-chicken stall, swallowing hard at the sight of the golden skin.
"Move, kid. Now isn't the time to eat," Shaoyu sighed, tugging his sleeve.
But Tianming had rooted himself like a tree; even Shaoyu's prodigious strength didn't budge him at first. Shaoyu blinked, impressed despite himself. "So the Juzi's lifetime cultivation really did boost his strength…"
Resigned, Shaoyu bought two chickens—one each.
At that moment, squads of Qin soldiers flooded the street from both sides, sealing the area.
A mounted officer trotted up, eyeing the two of them closely.
"Well now… fortune smiles. Found you so quickly," he said, then snapped, "Seize those boys! They're imperial traitors! Take them alive—we'll make them spit out the others' whereabouts."
"Yes, General!"
As the soldiers closed in, Shaoyu's face hardened. He flung his chicken away. "This is your fault—buying chicken of all times. Now we're exposed."
"Hey, you ate one too!" Tianming protested.
"Not the point. We have to move—don't get caught."
"You don't have to tell me. Just make sure you don't get nabbed by these grunts," Tianming shot back, oddly unruffled.
"Go!" Shaoyu grabbed Tianming and hurled him over the rooftop. A heartbeat later came Tianming's pained yelp.
Shaoyu vaulted after him, landing beside the boy as he scrambled up. "You alive?"
"Barely! Want to trade throws?" Tianming grumbled, rubbing his backside.
"Talk later—run!" Shaoyu barked, sprinting.
In a derelict house nearby, a Mohist disciple burst in, breathless. "Bad news! Ban Dashi—Tianming and Shaoyu were spotted by Qin soldiers on the street!"
"What? Those two brats…" Da Tiechui cursed and moved for the door.
"Calm down," Xiao Gao stopped him sharply. "If you charge out there, you'll expose all of us."
"Then what?"
"For now, send scouts to track their escape route. We'll prepare a clean extraction."
"After them! Don't let them get away!"
"Split up! Surround them!"
"Move, move!"
"Stop! You there!"
"Persistent bastards!" Tianming panted as he ran, glancing back at the endless tide of soldiers. "They've chased us half a day!"
"Block them!" more Qin troops appeared ahead.
"We're surrounded," Shaoyu said, grim—and then his eyes flicked to the trees. "Into the woods. Now."
"Stop! You can't escape!"
"Where did they go? I saw them a second ago…"
Two squads met beneath the boughs, peering around in confusion.
"Search! Carefully! They can't be far. Check every bush and blade of grass."
"Yes, sir!"
Spears leveled, the soldiers swept the thickets.
Moments later—
A thunderous roar ripped through the forest, shaking leaves from branches, sending birds exploding skyward.
"What… what was that?" Faces blanched; knuckles tightened on spear-shafts.
"Mother of—what is that thing?!" Tianming's startled shout rang from deeper within.
"Don't gawk—run!" Shaoyu snapped.
"There! The two brats!" a trooper cried.
"Chase—"
"Chase your own funeral!" Tianming and Shaoyu burst from the trees—right toward the Qin line.
Behind them pounded a massive black panther, glossy as midnight, its body sleek and powerful, golden eyes gleaming with a killing chill. It moved with a slight hitch—clearly wounded—but the intruders had provoked its territorial fury.
"Heavens! That panther is huge! Scatter!"
Panic rippled through the Qin ranks as the beast's ferocity and sheer size crashed over them like a wave.